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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. chip — for betting
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bulb — for light
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. toast — bread
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. rule — government
  12. fine — all right
  13. season — of the year
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. stand — to bear
  17. rule — a law
  18. fine — high quality
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. bulb — for light
  23. season — in sport
  24. stand — for spectators

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com